With the liberation of Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, Ukrainian forces have created a bridgehead for further counteroffensive operations in the area, Ukrainian military spokesperson Illia Yevlash said on Sept. 17.
According to Yevlash, as a result of the liberation of Klishchiivka, Russian forces will lose control over the southern flank of Bakhmut, allowing the Ukrainian military to advance deeper and conduct “more accurate and deeper strikes, using various artillery systems, drones, and available weapons.”
Currently, the main task ahead of Ukrainian forces, he said, is to take control of the logistical routes, especially railway, by which the Russians deliver the necessary ammunition to the occupied city of Bakhmut.
“The railway is very important for Russians. Everything further than 60 kilometers is very difficult to provide by the logistics of the occupying army,” Yevlash said.
"At the moment, intense and fierce battles are taking place in this direction. We are fighting for every meter of our land.”
Klishchiivka, which had a population of around 500 before the full-scale invasion and located just five kilometers south of Russian-occupied Bakhmut, was occupied in January by Russian forces.
The successful recapture of the village was first announced on Facebook on Sept.17 by the Liut ("Anger") Brigade, formed by the Ukrainian police and under command of the National Guard.
Asami Terajima
